the moon is wide (so are her eyes)
by isthismistersmolderholder
Summary: It takes about two minutes of Jemma just staring at Skye like she's the coolest thing since sliced bread for Skye to pick up on the oddity of it, and she hesitates, spoon half way to her lips, before lowering it and glancing at Jemma through the corner of her eye. (Werewolf AU wherein Jemma has imprinted on Skye)


The first time Skye seems to suspect something is off is when they're called in to collect another 0-8-4. What they actually find is the result of somebody else finding it first, leaving in their wake a bloodbath, and Jemma Simmons was meant to be kept away from blood - hell, it was in her contract. Her nostrils flare and she takes a hesitant sniff, before scrunching up her nose and whining. It's a soft noise, but Skye glances over at her with a concerned frown, so she returns it with a pained smile and tries to reel in the blood lust.

Unfortunately, It's much harder than usual considering the amount of time it's been since she last smelt fresh blood. Her whole body is vibrating with the anticipation of a fight that's already come and gone, and her canines scratch the inside of her lip because she refuses to open her mouth and wolf out. She can only imagine how Skye would look at her then, with fear and disgust most likely.

She bends over one of the bodies and sighs loudly. "Sir, they're fresh." She stresses the last word, hoping to high heaven that he'll pick up on her discomfort, but he simply crouches beside her and has a look himself.

"Whoever did this was out of control." He says, "It's possible it was the 0-8-4 itself. Keep close, team. Skye, don't wander off." Coulson shoots the brunette a sharp look that she just returns with a cheeky grin and a shrug.

Jemma clenches her fists because he's obviously doing that annoying trademark Coulson 'I have faith that you won't go nuts and kill us all' thing, and it makes her head hurt cause she isn't quite so sure that she won't. She feels a reassuring nudge from her side and glances to her left at Fitz, who gives her a thumbs up and a nod that would normally have helped a bit, only, she's not just uncomfortable because of the bodies, she's awakened a side of herself that she'd much rather leave sleeping.

"Out of control? More like out of their mind." Skye scoffs, and Jemma really just wishes she wouldn't move any closer right now, so of course she does. She's tugging her hair into a pony tail and her scent is suddenly all Jemma can focus on, it makes her dizzy, and she lets herself wonder for just a split second what Skye would taste like before she shakes the thought out of her head because for one thing, Skye is her team mate, and for another, Skye was straight. She can't help the growl that escapes her lips and Skye double takes and then raises an eyebrow.

"You okay there Simmons?"

"Oh, Peachy." She hides her face in her sleeve as she speaks, losing control with each passing moment. She throws a panicked, wide eyed glance at Coulson and he seems to actually get it because he's walking back over to them. "I just need a moment, it's quite a lot to take in."

"Yeah, I get it. If you want, we could go chill on the bus until everyone's done? We could watch Brooklyn Nine Nine and eat food that's definitely not Ward-Approved." She offers a hopeful grin, but there's no way Jemma could handle that right now, everything is just too overwhelming and Jem's bloodlust is through the roof, but before she has to make an excuse Coulson is beside them.

"Jemma, you've got a conference call on the bus. Skye, Stay put."

She couldn't have run away faster if she'd tried.

Her twenty seventh birthday is the next day and she's terrified that she's going to imprint on Fitz. It's a reasonable enough fear, after all, they spend almost all their time together, she does love him (Like a brother), and he's lovely to her, really, but she doesn't want that complication thrown into their relationship, especially since to imprint on someone there must be some dormant feelings for them and she's not one hundred per cent sure that there aren't any. Ward's also a possibility, considering she's attracted to his physique, but that's the most shallow sort of imprint and it's easily discarded after two or three years, whereas the more personal imprints can last decades, and she's not certain of how well she'll be able to control herself. Especially if it were one sided.

She goes to bed, locks her door, and forces herself to sleep, hoping to high heaven that she won't imprint at all, that she'll be one of the rare few that lived a lone wolf life.

When she does wake, and she comes out for breakfast, she tries to breathe in and out through her mouth, still full of that same fear. It takes about ten minutes before she gives up and faces the music, and takes a tentative sniff. Nothing.

"Did you just smell me?" Fitz asks incredulousy through the scone in his mouth, and she just finds herself smiling widely at him.

"For science." She cheeks, and he chuckles after he swallows, shaking his head at her at the in joke between them. He's about to sniff her back jokingly when a scent so strong and sensual and _delicious _fills her nose and she jerks in her seat, looking up at the kitchen doorway. There, stood Skye and Ward, Skye jabbing him repeatedly in the shoulder and teasing, "Come on Ward, hit me." She's not sure what all that is about, but she realizes as soon as Ward sits down and Skye heads for the fridge, which one of them she can smell.

Skye.

Her heart is racing and her whole body feels like it's on fire, and like a magnet, she jerks out of her seat and comes to stand beside the brunette, wincing at how painfully obvious she's being but unable to play it cool.

"Oh, Hey Jemma." Skye smiles, despite the fact that Jemma had bumped her in her haste to get to her side and Skye had spilt a capfull of milk on herself. Thankfully she hadn't dressed yet.

"Hello Skye." Jemma finds herself smiling brighter than ever before, and as Skye steps away with the bowl of cereal, she follows after like a lost puppy. "Could i sit with you?"

Skye's eyebrow quirks and she grins. "Of course, Jem. You know that."

It takes about two minutes of Jemma just staring at Skye like she's the coolest thing since sliced bread for Skye to pick up on the oddity of it, and she hesitates, spoon half way to her lips, before lowering it and glancing at Jemma through the corner of her eye. Fitz is staring too, but Ward is just doing the crossword puzzle, completely oblivious. Or perhaps he's just pretending not to so that the biochemist can keep what little dignity she has left.

"Uh...What's up, Jem?" Skye asks slowly, and is surprised to see Jemma blush a bit and avert her gaze.

"Oh, nothing interesting." Not a common answer. Jemma usually would tell Skye about her latest work in the lab, or the latest article she'd read, but now she sat silent and blushing and Skye couldn't make sense of it.

"Really now?"

"We're actually mean' ta' be in the lab, Jem." Fitz interupts, looking between them like Skye was some sort of criminal that had kidnapped his Jemma. She just gives him half a shrug and Jemma sighs and gets up.

"Yes, you're quite right Fitz." She glances back at Skye wistfully, like she's pained to be leaving her, and as soon as they reach the lab Fitz drops his books on the bench and turns to face her.

"Wha' the bloody hell was tha'?" He looks beyond confused and she groans to herself, mortified.

"Oh, dear." She mumbles, sinking into a stool and letting her face fall into her hands. "Oh, what am I going to do, Leo?"

He frowns at her, and then it's like things click into place. "You're twenty seven," He says slowly, "Oh, no."

"Oh yes," She wails, her face crimson and her eyebrows furrowed, "This is absolutely terrible,"

"Maybe if ye' jus' tell her-"

"That is a horrible idea, Fitz. Can you imagine how awkward that would make things? No, absolutely not."

"Well, with how obvious ye' were being, she's gonna figure it out soon."

"That bad?" Jemma asks tentatively, face lifting from her hands once more to look at him with an expression akin to utter hopelessness.

"Sorry, Jem."


End file.
